GEF

Unit 1  |  Introduction to Sustainability 21 1.3  Why is Sustainability Important? The demand for natural resources is climbing as human popu- lation increases. Global population growth has skyrocketed from 2.5 billion in 1950 to about 7.5 billion in 2017. More people means more resources needed for homes, food, water, trans- portation, and all the other materials humans need and use. More energy is required to obtain resources and dispose of resources. In fact, global energy use has doubled from 1974 to the present. The demand for natural resources is destroying important habitats and increasing the extinction rate of species. The need for energy and use of fossil fuels such as coal or gas, is creating a serious global climate change, causing a rise in the Earth’s average temperature. POPULATION GROWTH The increase in the number of individuals in a population over a period of time. FOSSIL FUEL A natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geologi- cal past from the remains of living organisms. SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPTS The coffee industry has historically been socially unbalanced. Due to pressure from outside groups and their own initiatives, many coffee companies are now engaging in fair trade agreements with their suppliers. These agreements set requirements for both parties: the purchaser must pay a minimum price for the coffee, and the supplier must provide acceptable working conditions and at least a minimum wage for their workforce. Fair trade labeling helps inform customers about the conditions where their coffee was produced. However, the system is not perfect, and the movement is still improving the standards for fair trade commodities. For instance, some fair trade agreements fail to guarantee that workers live above the poverty line. Others do not necessarily account for forest destruction, soil erosion, and pesticide exposure caused by the coffee growers. Fair trade is one way industry is combatting social inequity.